We are working on some of the problems we inherited with this house. This is a little piece of wall between our kitchen and dining area. The last owners had a piece of dry wall inserted where the kitchen did not quite fit and the plaster cracked as a result. Jos has scraped off the loose plaster and is doing some spot repairs until we get a new kitchen. That black hole to the right of the photo is the kitchen.
As you can see, the walls have become dirty looking by our heaters. We had a sand yellow on the walls but were tired of this color. Espcially since we love the ox blood red walls. These walls are behind our woodstove and behind the bookshelves. The sand yellow just is too tired looking to use with that rich red. I debated and almost went with a color called Dune which is a dirty cream as you can see a patch on the wall. This was just too light to mix with it too.
I went back to our paint shop and got more samples. We are using a line called 'Painting the Past' based on historic colors. This is chalk paint. We decided on the color buff which is turning out to be very pretty.
I could not sleep last night and at one in the morning, with only one coat of paint on the walls, I was feeling panicked at not liking this color. The paint is so rich in minerals that it doesn't dry like other paints. I was not happy with what I saw in the middle of the night. After the second coat and drying time, we are very happy with it. This is going to work so much better with the other color. While everyone out there in blogland is going white or light colors, I am going even richer English country house colors.
Now I am putting our bookshelves back together. This was not fun to have to remove all the books and take them upstairs while we painted this wall again. One nice thing is that it is very clean now. I am putting aside a few books to give away to friends coming to visit me in May.
I cannot wait to see that yellow woodwork around my windows and doors turned into an egg white. You can see a little of it to the left of this photo.
As you can see, I have a great many books so it is back to work for me.....
19 comments:
I like the color and I agree the original choice is a bit too light. I like the darker color. It gives it more of an english library feel. All you need is a big deep leather chair & fireplace! Cozy Cozy!
Love you!
The spell checker (Mandie)
Ok, first of all, I think you are nuts to carry all those books upstairs. You could have put them on the furniture. Silly Sally Pickles.
The color looks very rich and pretty. Poor Jos, I hope he is getting coffee and pastry once in awhile.
Love you, Mom
Hi Heidi,
I love the look of the deep rich colors. I think it's going to be lovely and can't wait to see your finished pics. I once paid painters to paint our master bedroom a color that I thought was right...only to turn around and re-paint it myself because the color was too "blue green" instead of sagey like I wanted. Hey, if it doesn't make you happy, you gotta do what you gotta do!!!!
Hugs,
Dena
Oh Heidi that looks after much work out.But I think it sees after the
renovation charming out.I like english colors but self I have none.
We are also at renovate and paint all
wood beam white.Where our oven and our books corner is I would like the
wall also in old red english colors
painting.I think is a perfect color.
Hugs,
Regina
Oh dear, sound like a lot of work! But as long as the end result is to your satisfaction, that is all that counts. I realize that the trend lately has been to use lighter colours, but there is certainly something to be said for the the richer, darker colours too. Nothing beats them for their sense of warmth.
Thank you ever so much for all your lovely comments, Heidi! I really should give you the "You make my day"-award every time!
I have not started sowing seeds yet. I did start early last year, with mixed results, so I will wait a while before doing so. And even then I will just concentrate on tomatoes and sweet peas (the rest will be sown directly on the ground in May).
Sometimes painting is a chore, but
I love it! Beautiful colors!
Wow Heidi! That is alot of work! But I just love the color you chose. It is so warm and cozy looking and I bet it is amazing with the red wall...
I am conducting a decorating survey on my blog. Come visit and partcipate!!
Penny
Hi Heidi,
You did some job here! I am eager to see it, it sounds good! Please don't work too hard!
Hugs, Carolien
I love the new color! very rich...I have something similar in my dinning room! take a rest...it is a lot of work!
It looks and sounds wonderful Heidi. Buff seems to be a great colour and works beautifully with the red. Well done for doing all that work this weekend.
Kimx
Oh this came out great! I love it! It looks very much like the color combination we used in our house in Texas! Hmmm, a fireplace does sound nice Mandie!! :)
I can relate to things being more work than you plan! :) This weekend I "planned" to put up the moulding in the kitchen and then paint my studio. No problem! I had LOTS of time. Well, the moulding wouldn't go up as easily as we'd hoped. We fussed and cut, re-cut and fussed again. Finally, we finished it but I ran out of time to paint. Today I have errands to do so tomorrow I have booked the whole day to paint.
I love the colour you've chosen, Heidi! It will be so pretty when you're finished. I don't envy you having to put away all those books. Take some rest and tell Jos to do the same.
~ hugs, Lynda xox
I so enjoy seeing and reading about the work you are doing to make your home so beautiful. I admire you doing the work yourselves. I just don't have it in me. :<)
idi,
What an exciting time. Everything will soon be back in place and it will be as if a gentle breeze has swept through leaving a mellow warmth behind it. I love the name of the paint range, how inspiring! It goes beyond just colour suggestions, it offers ideas and inspiration :>)
Hmmm, books to give to friends visiting in May...now then...haha!
Hugs, Angela
Oh that is going to be so beautiful the combinaton is wonderful. I like the idea of the older colored paints based on the past historical shades. I will have to check out the chalk paints they sound interesting. What a good choice of colors, and it's making the room look so different. You never really know about the color until you get it on the wall. I'm always nervous about the colors I pick. Not much confidence I guess :)
Isn't it nice to paint? You will feel like you have a new house when done, paint does so much! I love the colors you have chosen. I am sure Jos is tired and that plaster job does not look like fun. My parents house is plaster and it is extremely hard to find anyone who can do quality work for a good price...luckily Dad can do a good job!!
Heidi it's looking wonderful so far - Jos is a great artist!!!
Bob hates painting - gets all nervous when the paint chips are stuck on the wall - but always loves what I end up doing, thank goodness!
Love your Mom's comment - we always say the wrong things, at least I seem to!!
Even though I've painted the guest room lighter (it's a dark room with only a small window) I will be adding color. Working on that now - I will have surprises later!
Heidi,
I am so excited to see your rich color palatte when it's finished. I just know it will be a beautiful, warm, and welcoming room.
Suzann
I like the darker, more English colors, as well. I'm also using flocked wall paper - at least the clostest thing I could find - to produce an older look.
Finish is taking much longer than we expected. My niece has announced that she wants to have her wedding here this summer. I wonder how she will feel about saw horses and ladders in her wedding photos?????
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